


Keri Shorts

by Rinkafic



Series: Keri 'verse - Tales Outside Continuity [2]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-08
Updated: 2013-02-08
Packaged: 2017-11-28 14:26:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/675408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinkafic/pseuds/Rinkafic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a compilation of a few Keri shorts.  From Keri to after Panor</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keri Shorts

**Freedom**  
 **Pre-Keri: John/Cam**  
John looked at the paper on the table in front of him. The judge advocate, the medical department, his commanding officer and hell, the notary public had all signed off on the damned thing. It just needed his signature on the bottom line to be official. He looked up to see that the Commodore… no, he should get used to calling him by name now… that Cameron.. was watching him intently.

He was signing his life away. Thirty four years of freedom, gone with the stroke of a pen. This pen. He stared at the offending implement, twirling it between his fingers. His knee was lightly hitting the underside of the table, he always bounced his foot when he was nervous, and right now he was about to freak out. 

There was no other way. In his mind, he knew it. He had accepted that this had to happen. But that didn’t make his heart stop hurting. It did not make the pain in his gut ease. The knowledge of this being the only solution to the problem did not silence the little voice in his head that kept repeating accusations of failure. 

This piece of paper was all that stood between him and a long stint in Leavenworth. This piece of paper was in itself a paradox; in order to remain free; he had to sign this paper that would take away his freedom.

With a heavy sigh, he scratched his name on the bottom line and slid the document across the table to Cameron Mitchell.

****************************************************

 **I Just Want to Sleep**  
 **Pre-Keri: Lorne/Parrish**  
“Evan, are you sick?” David stared across the table at him, eyeing the untouched breakfast tray in front of his _panor’eten_. When Evan didn’t answer, David frowned. “Evan? Sick?”

“Huh? No, no, just…” Lorne yawned broadly. “Just sleepy, _keri_ just sleepy.” He picked up his fork and poked listlessly at his powdered egg and powdered cheese omelet. 

At that, David pursed his lips and pointed his fork accusingly. “You haven’t been sleeping. And it isn’t because of anything I’m doing to keep you awake, because we haven’t had a romantic evening in weeks.”

Evan yawned again, covering his mouth and then rubbing his eyes with thumb and forefinger. “I’m sorry about that, David. I just haven’t been able to rouse myself to it.”

David nodded, he knew it was the inhibitors, the doctors had warned them of some of the side effects. This insomnia that his _panor’eten_ seemed plagued with was a new symptom, one that was worrying him. Evan had been having headaches too. All the tossing and turning he did at night couldn’t be helping with those. 

“Have you been to see Doctor Beckett?”

“No. It’s just a side effect.”

Dropping his fork, David leaned over the table and hissed at his lifemate, “Finish your breakfast. Then we’re going straight to the infirmary. I don’t like this, Evan, I don’t like this at all. We’re going to find another way; I can’t have you suffering like this on my account. You have to sleep. You cannot possibly function properly if you don’t get enough sleep.”

“I’ll be okay. It’ll just take some time to adjust to.”

“Eat.”

Evan scrunched up his nose and pushed away the tray. “Bossy _keri_ , I’m done.” He got up and started around the table.

With a low growl in his throat, David stuffed the last bite of his muffin into his mouth and grabbed Evan’s wrist in one hand while he stacked both of their trays and picked them up to take to the trash. 

“Leggo, David.” Evan tried to tug his arm away, but David had a firm hold and was determined not to let go. 

“When we get to the infirmary.”

Rubbing his eye with his free hand, Evan complained, “Oh, come on, David! I have work to do.” 

In response, after dumping the trays, David tapped his earpiece. “Chuck, Major Lorne will be slightly late getting to the office, he’ll be in the infirmary.”

“Understood Doctor Parrish, nothing too serious, I hope.”

“That remains to be seen, thank you Chuck.”

Giving in to the inevitable, Evan toddled along as David led him to the infirmary. Beckett checked him over, scanned him, gave him the third degree and then gave him a shot.

David sat in the chair beside the gurney as Evan’s eyes drooped and then closed, despite his determination to stay awake. 

“He’s having a hard time with the inhibitors, worse than I had anticipated,” Beckett said quietly as Evan’s breathing evened out and he started to snore lightly. 

“I hope this is worth it. So many things could go wrong. I don’t like this, Doctor Beckett, not one bit.”

The doctor patted his shoulder. “Aye, I know. But it’s the only solution your _panor’eten_ would accept. He’ll level out eventually. Don’t worry.”

David sagged back in the seat. “It’s my job to worry, Doctor Beckett.”

 

********************************************

 **5 Thoughts Cam Mitchell Had on a Bad Day**  
 **Mid-Keri: Cam**  
 **Sinking**  
It could not have been this bad on the Titanic, Cam Mitchell thought as he watched the chaos in the Gate Room. He tried to ignore the horrible sinking feeling in his stomach as he realized the people pouring through the Gate were the last survivors.

 **Raise**  
Leaning over the railing, Cam heard Lorne shouting at the people milling aimlessly, whistling for the marines to get the civilians into some sort of order. Then Lorne shouted the order that any family member of someone attached to the Atlantis Expedition should raise their hand immediately. Cam held his breath, waiting. Slowly, a few tentative hands went up. And now, there was hope.

 **Arguing**  
People were not happy about this situation. Most were dismayed. A number argued, loudly, at being shuffled and herded along by the military. He had to go down into the fray half a dozen times to break up altercations between his men and the civilians. Civilians were a lot more work than soldiers, Cam decided.

 **Nowhere**  
At no point in his career had Cam ever though he would be here. He wasn’t prepared for this. He didn’t want this power, or this responsibility. He wiped a hand over his face and stared around at the walls of Atlantis. This was supposed to be a temporary posting. And now, he was stuck, in the middle of Nowhere: Pegasus Galaxy with a whole bunch of civilian mouths to feed and protect.

 **Public**  
This day had sucked. A lot. There were still people wandering all over the place. Cam just wanted to go home. He didn’t want to still be herding the newcomers around, he didn’t want to be figuring out what to do with them all. When John walked up the stairs with an odd look in his eyes, Cam wondered if the stress had gotten to his partner too. John marched up to him, clasped his face between his hands and kissed him, long and hard. It was the first time Sheppard had ever done anything like this in public. Not that Mitchell was complaining, at all. He relaxed into the kiss and the day didn’t seem quite so bad anymore. 

 

******************************************

 **Sore and Silent**  
 **Mid-Keri: Teyla/Ronon**  
The influx of new people into Atlantis had brought many things, supplies, treasures from home, oddities of many kinds. It had also brought a lot of germs and some diseases. Ronon Dex, being a Pegasus native, did not have the natural defenses that the Expedition crew had to these new microscopic invaders. It was not something he gave much thought to. Until the day he noticed that his throat was a little sore, and it hurt to talk. Then he realized that a lot of the marines and seals had been coughing and sneezing in the gym. By the middle of the day, he couldn’t speak at all without burning pain, and the words he could get out were unintelligible.

Hating the weakness, and hating even more the fact that he had to give in to it, he handed his last two defense classes for the day over to Lieutenant Stackhouse and headed to the infirmary. Doctor Beckett blinked in surprise to see him and immediately began looking for the blood. Tapping his throat, Ronon winced.

Gesturing towards an exam table, Beckett went to collect some implements. Beckett waved a tongue depressor and ordered, “Open.” He shone his little pen light into Ronon’s mouth and made some clucking noises with his tongue. “Oh, you’ve got a nasty infection there, my friend. I’ll take a culture, and we’ll get you on a treatment.”

Ronon sighed. He hated Beckett’s treatments.

Even with his stop at the infirmary, Ronon got back to the quarters he and Teyla shared very early. She looked up in surprise as he entered and crossed the room to meet him. “Ronon, what is wrong?” He patted his throat with his fingers. She stroked her fingers along his throat and then his cheek and brow. “You are ill, you have a fever. I thought you sounded odd this morning. Let me gather Torra, and I shall walk with you to see Doctor Beckett.”

He shook his head and caught her arm as she spun away. He held up a small packet of pills Beckett had pressed into his hand. Teyla smiled. “You have already been to see him. That eases my mind. Do you wish to eat?”

“Da!” Torra’s dark head popped up from her little bed. She wriggled to free herself form the blanket, abandoning her nap, as it was far more fun to play with her father than to sleep. He scooped Torra up into his arms, swinging her high, much to her delight. Knowing if he said yes to Teyla’s question that it might result in a bowl of Teyla’s tuttle root soup, he declined.

He held out the slip of paper Beckett had handed him along with the pills and tapped his finger beside the words, “If the mess hall has chicken soup or broth, it is recommended.” 

“I have heard that this is so. If you will stay with Torra, I will go and bring us back a meal, including some of the chicken soup.” She went up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. Torra was wriggling to get down, so Ronon obliged, setting her on her feet. She had stopped walking a month ago, once she had mastered the skill. Now, the child ran everywhere on her tiptoes. Sheppard laughed every time he saw her and had declared that she was going to be a balla-trina when she grew up. Apparently, a balla-trina was a dancer of some kind that only walks or dances on their toes. Maybe. Ronon couldn’t remember the conversation now.

He sat in the rocking chair Teyla had abandoned and watched Torra move around the room, the undisputed queen of their living quarters. She was digging in her toy basket and came up with a book, a gift from Lorne on the day they had celebrated her first year of life. The pages had been hand painted on cardboard by Lorne and sewn together. It was one of Torra’s favorites; she loved the colorful animals that adorned each page. She brought the book to him and dropped it onto his lap, then pounded the cover, a demand to be read to.

He sighed, how could he read the words to her if he couldn’t speak?

When Teyla returned, a tray of covered dishes in hand, she found Ronon on his hands and knees with Torra clinging to his back. He was grunting and making horrible noises. Torra squealed with delight as Ronon reared up and began to scratch at himself and pound his chest.

Bending to pick up the open book from the floor, Teyla peered over at Ronon. “I believe you are more of a gorilla right now than a monkey, dear one. Come and eat your soup.” 

**************************************

 **What Now?**  
 **Mid-Panor: Chuck**  
Chuck pulled himself up onto the exam table and looked around the Atlantis infirmary nervously as he waited for Doctor Fraiser to set up the ultrasound machine.

The blood tests had come back positive, he was carrying. This was not what he had expected at all, not from what had amounted to a one night stand.

“Make yourself comfortable, Mister Campbell,” she said kindly.

“Please call me Chuck, everyone else does. Are you sure about those tests, Doctor? I mean, it was only the once, and I’m not bonded to him, and can this really happen?” He knew his voice was cracking at the end. “I mean, it was really hot and crazy while everything was going on, but after he left, everything faded, I don’t feel any kind of connection to him at all now.”

She set down the tool she had been holding and moved to stand beside him. She put a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze as she nodded. “Yes Chuck, we double checked the tests. This can really happen, it happens rarely, but a full bond does not have to form to result in a keri pregnancy. You and your partner were both fertile, and the bond that did form, though temporary, was enough.”

“What am I going to do now?” he whispered as she pushed the exam gown open and squirted sticky, cool gel on his belly. “He didn’t want me; he didn’t even want to see me after.”

Doctor Fraiser frowned. “Did he say that, Chuck?” She was moving a wand around on his belly.

“He left. He freaked out and he left as soon as it was done. I saw him once in the corridor outside the mess hall and he turned around and went the other way. He doesn’t want to see me.”

She continued to frown. “If you’d like to tell me his name, I’ll track him down and kick him for you.”

He smiled at her tone. “Is that something you usually do for your patients?”

“When someone is acting like a jerk, I get the overwhelming urge to kick them in the shins. But it is generally frowned upon, so I resist. I could make an exception in your case.”

“He’d wonder why you were attacking him, and that would lead to uncomfortable conversations and I don’t think I want him to find out that way. Thanks for the offer, Doctor Fraiser.” He knew she’d been fishing for the name of his panor partner, but he was unwilling to reveal that, it was his shame to keep.

“Would you like to have a peek?” She tapped the edge of the monitor screen in front of her. When he nodded, she turned it towards him. “This is the head; you can see the curve of the back here.” She pointed at the gray blob and he could see the outline.

“This was not what I expected the cause of my stomach ache to be, Doctor. What am I going to do?”

“Well, you’re going to start by eating healthy meals, sleeping regularly, and taking vitamins. As things progress, we can talk about the options you have for after the baby comes. You can keep the baby or you can give it up for adoption, if you choose, but you don’t have to decide yet, Chuck.”

He was pregnant. And alone. His life had just taken a turn for the worse.

******************************************

 **Late Night Feeding**  
 **Post Panor: John/Cam**  
“Cammmmmmm,” John mumbled, reaching over and pushing at Cam’s shoulder. “Turn.”

“Mmmmpphhh.” Cam’s face was planted in his pillow and he had both arms wrapped around his ears. A position completely non-conducive to hearing the babies crying. Which they were. And it was his turn to get up. After another minute of listening to both Kenzie and EJ screaming, John huffed in irritation and threw the covers back. He kicked Cam in the calf accidentally on purpose and rolled off the bed. 

He was just as tired as Cam, this wasn’t fair. He walked into the doorframe as he stomped out of the bedroom. Rubbing his sore head, he went to the baby's room. Since she was screaming louder, he scooped Kenzie up and patted her behind. Soaking wet. On autopilot, he moved to the changing table and stripped her out of her wet diaper. She calmed a little when she was dry. He picked her up and cradled her to his shoulder, rocking her as he went to check EJ. He was dry, it was just time for a bottle. 

The bottles were already made up, sitting in the warmer. At least Cam had done that before he collapsed on into bed. He tucked one under his chin and held the other in the hand he had pressed to Kenzie’s back. He had perfected the dip and grab motion he needed to do to scoop EJ up on his other arm. He went to the rocking chair in the corner and carefully sat, getting both children turned so that he could feed them both at the same time. This wasn’t optimal, but it would do, since Cam wouldn’t get up. 

He rocked as the babies quieted and nursed. Then he stopped rocking because it was lulling him to sleep and he needed to stay awake. He yawned broadly and kissed the top of EJ’s head. He was annoyed, but not at the babies, it wasn’t their fault that both John and Cam were running ragged trying to balance work and caring for them. They were just babies. 

Just babies.

John yawned and took the bottle from EJ’s mouth as he stopped sucking. He tucked it under his chin and then awkwardly tried to shift the baby so that he could burp him. He heard a noise at the door and looked up to see Cam leaning heavily on the frame.

Cam yawned and then came over and scooped EJ into his arms, he reached over and worked the bottle loose from under John’s chin. He raised EJ to his shoulder and began to pat his back. John cradled Kenzie in both his arms, nuzzling her soft curls as she continued to suckle at the bottle. Out of habit he began to rock. 

He jolted awake when Cam took Kenzie out of his arms. “I’ve got it, John. Go back to bed.”

Too exhausted to argue, John lurched to his feet and stumbled off to the bedroom. He flopped down on the bed, but he wasn’t able to sleep, he curled on his side and waited for Cam. When he came in and stretched out behind John, he wrapped an arm over him and pulled him close. He kissed the back of John’s neck. “I’m sorry, John. Don’t be mad at me.”

“Just so tired.”

“Maybe we need to accept the fact that we can’t do this alone. We need someone to help us.” Cam reached for his hand and squeezed it. 

“Mmmm, maybe.” John agreed, scooching back against him. “Talk tomorrow. Sleep now.”

************************************

 **A New Life**  
 **Mid Panor: Jonas**  
It took a long time for Jonas to get used to living with the Earthers. Most of that was because he was still learning to accept the fact that Langara was gone, destroyed by the Hrsul. Atlantis was the only safe haven now. 

He liked working in Medical with Doctor Beckett and Doctor Fraiser; he liked being their own personal engineer, one that Rodney McKay had no claim on. He felt useful, wanted and needed, and that made the transition to life with the Earthers a little easier. 

Jonas had no sooner settled in and become content with the way things were than his beloved came along and turned his new world completely and totally upside down. He had never suspected that he could come to love someone so quickly or so very, very deeply. With new love in his life, Atlantis became more than simply a refuge, it became a home.

And then, Doctor Fraiser placed his child into his arms and he looked into the huge, impossibly blue eyes and saw the future… and Jonas Quinn lost his heart completely, totally and irrevocably.


End file.
